1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for transferring biscuits, and confectionery products in general, from a first continuous belt conveyor to a second in-line compartmented belt conveyor.
2. Discussion of the Art
As taught by the prior art, the biscuits are arranged in a mutual head-to-tail alignment on the continuous belt by, for example, controlling the speed of another continuous belt which is located upstream of the first and is supplied with biscuits from a production unit, the biscuits leaving the latter cooked, covered in chocolate, or otherwise prepared.
On the compartmented belt, the biscuits are each located in a respective compartment and are thus arranged at equally spaced intervals from each other, ready to be advanced, as taught by the prior art, to a packaging machine where the biscuits are individually packaged, for example, wrapped in cellophane.
Clearly, it is necessary to transfer the biscuits from the continuous belt to the compartmented belt.
At present, according to one solution in use, the conveyor belts are installed with respective end sections placed side by side and a coplanar shelf is formed between the adjacent end sections. As the biscuits on the continuous belt reach a stop formed at the end thereof, they are displaced one at a time from the continuous belt, across the shelf towards the compartmented belt, and into respective compartments, by a pusher.
This solution, although advantageous from various points of view, has the disadvantage of not permitting a high rate of transfer and, in particular, it does not lend itself to transfers of more than 60-70 biscuits per minute when the pusher carries out a simple reciprocating movement, or not more than 120-130 biscuits per minute when the pusher carries out a rectangular movement, that is, with its return stroke above the belt. This low rate is due to the long stroke of the pusher (a stroke which cannot be reduced because of the general overall dimensions of the belt conveyors) and the low velocity of the pusher (a velocity which cannot be increased for risk of crushing the biscuits).
According to another solution in use, the continuous belt is installed with its end converging with the compartmented belt so as to form a small angle of, for example, 15.degree. therewith. A substantially triangular shelf is formed between the end of the continuous belt and the compartmented belt and is coplanar therewith. The biscuits carried by the continuous belt take up positions across the shelf against equally-spaced partitions provided on the compartmented belt to define the compartments themselves, and are at the same time pushed into the compartments by a pair of cams acting reciprocatingly on the biscuits.
Although allowing an increase in the transfer rate of the biscuits, for example, up to about 300 biscuits transferred per minute, this solution has several disadvantages which have had to be accepted until now.
In particular, a first disadvantage results from the fact that each biscuit is pushed across the triangular shelf by the rest of the biscuits aligned on the continuous belt so as to take up a position against the partition of the compartmented belt. Since sticky deposits may form on the shelf, particularly in the case of chocolate-coated biscuits and the like, the unwelcome disadvantage of blockage and slowing of the biscuits on the shelf may easily occur.
Another disadvantage results from the need to provide complicated disappearing guide means, for guiding the biscuits in the section between the end of the continuous belt and the partition of the compartmented belt, which disappear in synchronism with the action of the cams.
As well as this, the above-mentioned solution is unfavorably large in plan due to the substantially Y-shaped arrangement of the conveyor belts relative to each other.
Finally, the transfer rate which can be achieved, although greater than the solution discussed previously, is still insufficient to satisfy the requirements of large-scale biscuit production.